Blood and Magic - George Barlow

                Blood and Magic is the first book in a new supernatural/fantasy series called the Ink Chronicles and for anyone who enjoys the work of Jim Butcher, this is sure to be a new favorite. I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to finish and my only problem with it is the cliff-hangar at the end and the fact that now I’ll have to wait for the second book in the series. Blood and Magic tells two stories that at first may seem separate but are actually tied together. One story is told from a human point of view and one from someone who has just found out they are not totally human.

                Alex is a detective on the hunt for a serial killer who has been leaving victims with their throats slashed. The murderer never leaves any evidence or witnesses and there doesn’t seem to be any link between the victims. Henry is a socially awkward lab tech who one day finds himself seeing people’s reflections in a strangely odd way. Some of his colleagues may not be human if their reflections are telling the truth. Unbeknownst to Henry, he is actually an Inquisitor, someone who can see the mutations in people, among other magical skills. In order for Henry to stay alive he needs to learn how to use his new skills and magic and learn to rely on others who are trying to keep him alive.

                This is a fantastic world with a wonderful setting and characters that are lots of fun to read about. The author makes them jump off the page and become real. This would make an amazing movie or TV series. There are quite a few different characters but all are so well written and so unique that it is easy to follow them. I loved this book and am excited to have discovered such a fantastic author. I read the digital form of this book and it formatted to my ereader well. The editing was well done with only a few very minor mistakes. The cover really draws the eye and suits the genre well.

The Shepherd - Lela K. King

                I know the basics of the bible, the stories that I learned from Sunday school as a child. I’ve never thought about what happened “behind the scenes” so to speak, the story behind all of the characters who we just touch on but never really learn about. Ms. King takes the reader on the journey of a young shepherd’s desire to meet Jesus after his father is one of the shepherds summoned by the angel to go see Jesus in the stable after his birth. The book follows Demas’s life through his trials and tribulations and exhibits how he keeps his faith in Jesus no matter what happens to him. His faith carries him through life and it is beautifully written about. One of the most well written relationships in the book is that of Demas and Joel. Joel betrayed Demas’s family to Herod when they were young and Demas carries the hatred for him throughout his years. In the end, he finds forgiveness for Joel due to his belief in Jesus’s teachings. The whole book is full of these sorts of well written and believable characters and prove what a fine writer Ms. King is. The book is never preachy and doesn’t pound bible references into the reader’s brain. Instead, it is a lovely story that is entertaining and has deep meaning for people who believe in Jesus. By the end, it will reinforce the reader’s faith in God. Ms. King writes about biblical times as if she were actually there and creates it in a very believable way. It is an easy read with a feel-good warmth to it. I would venture to say that even people with no interest in the bible would enjoy the book. I read this on my ereader and it formatted well. The editing is very well done and the cover is quite beautiful. This is well worth reading!

The Rabbit Hole - Amiya Powell

                The first thing I need to state is that this is a fairly graphic erotic novel so if erotic content would prohibit someone from reading a book then The Rabbit Hole should probably not be on your reading pile. Often an erotic novel has very little story and is just one erotic encounter after another. The Rabbit Hole was refreshing in that the story is the focus of the book, not the erotic content. The story centers around a secret government society that provides various services, none of which are ethical or legal. In exchange for these services, the government looks the other way as Frankenstein-like experiments are performed on individuals by the mad scientist, Dr. Bragg. Throughout the book the author introduces a variety of characters which, at times, got confusing but they eventually all tie in to each other. The book goes back and forth between characters, telling their past stories and really letting the reader know all about them and their inner thoughts. The author does a great job of making each character very individual and unique, considering there are so many of them. Ms. Powell also manages to make the “bad group” of people in the book seem human even if their actions are horrendous. The pace is fast and keeps the reader wanting more of the story. The erotic scenes are well written and believable but don’t overwhelm the main story. I loved the ending and how certain things were finally explained. The only thing that took away from the book was the lack of paragraphs. There are very few breaks in the text and it makes it very hard on the eyes, especially if the print is of average size. Other than this issue, the editing is well done and the book’s digital version worked well on my ereader. The cover does portray a sense of eroticism but the book is about so much more. The cover may take away from the fact that this is a really good story that is well worth reading.